Sphenochoanal polyps: evaluation with CT and MR imaging

Abstract

A sphenochoanal polyp is a solitary mass of low attenuation on computed tomographic (CT) scans that arises from the sphenoid sinus and extends through the sphenoid ostium, across the sphenoethmoid recess, and into the choana (the boundary between the nasal cavity and nasopharynx). More often, however, a choanal polyp is an antrochoanal polyp, which arises from the maxillary antrum, protrudes through the middle meatus, extends into the nasal cavity, and continues back to the choana. Contiguous axial or coronal magnetic resonance and CT images help clearly differentiate the rare sphenochoanal polyp from the more common antrochoanal polyp. The sinus of origin is important to identify, as the surgical approach depends on the target sinus.